🗞️In this edition

• •OpenAI loses Windsurf to Google

• • Workflow Wednesday #27 ‘AI Exploration’

• •UN pushes for Deepfake detection standards

• • In other AI news –

  • •Meta buys AI voice startup Play

  • •Study flags risks in AI therapy bots

  • •SpaceX may invest $2B in xAI

  • •Indeed, Glassdoor to cut 1,300 jobs

• • 7 must-try AI tools

Google DeepMind scoops up Windsurf talent and tech for $2.4B after OpenAI deal falls apart

♨️News – OpenAI’s $3 billion deal to acquire AI coding startup Windsurf has officially fallen through. Instead, Google DeepMind is hiring Windsurf’s top leaders and paying $2.4 billion to license its technology, without taking any ownership stake in the company. 

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and other senior researchers are joining DeepMind.

• Google will have a nonexclusive license to Windsurf’s tech, allowing the startup to continue licensing it elsewhere.

• Windsurf’s head of business, Jeff Wang, is now interim CEO.

• Most of the 250-person team is staying at Windsurf, which will continue serving enterprise clients.

• This follows a pattern of “reverse-acquihires,” where companies gain talent and tech access without buying the startup.

🤓OpenTools POV –   With Big Tech opting for licensing and key hires over full takeovers, the playbook is shifting. Windsurf keeps its independence on paper, but without its founders, its long-term momentum is in question. 

This Week in Workflow Wednesday #27: AI Exploration

Spot Market Trends Faster with Perplexity
Trying to stay ahead of the AI curve? Trend research usually means 20 tabs, scattered notes, and digging through outdated blog posts.
Here’s how to skip the rabbit holes and get real answers, fast:

Step 1:
 Start with a Trend-Driven Query
Head to Perplexity and drop in a focused research query around AI trends or emerging tools. Examples:

• “What are the fastest-growing AI startups in 2025?”

Step 2:
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Perplexity pulls from recent news, blogs, and research papers - all linked. Use the ……
We break it down fully in this week’s issue, along with 2 other ultra-simple AI workflows

Global standards needed to curb Deepfakes, says UN telecom body

☕News – The UN’s International Telecommunication Union is urging tech platforms to take stronger action against deepfakes and misinformation, warning of serious risks to elections and financial systems. In a new report released at its AI for Good Summit, the agency called for global standards and better tools to verify digital content before it spreads.

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• The ITU says social platforms should verify images and videos before sharing.

• Deepfakes are getting harder to detect and are already being used to deceive.

• Experts from Adobe and Digital Medusa highlighted the need for provenance data.

• There is no single global watchdog focused on manipulated media.

• The ITU is developing watermarking standards for video, which dominates internet traffic.

🤓OpenTools POV –   As AI-generated media becomes more realistic, verifying what’s real is no longer optional. The pressure is now on platforms to build in transparency and earn back user trust.

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• Meta acquires voice startup Play AI // Meta has acquired Play AI, a startup that uses AI to generate human-sounding voices 

• Study warns of ‘significant risks’ in using AI therapy chatbots // According to the paper, the chatbots showed an increased stigma toward conditions including alcohol dependence and schizophrenia when compared to conditions like depression

• Elon Musk’s SpaceX might invest $2 billion in Musk’s xAI // The investment would reportedly be part of the $5 billion equity raise (along with another $5 billion in debt) that was announced at the end of June

• Indeed, Glassdoor to cut 1,300 jobs amid AI integration, memo shows // U.S. companies, including tech giants Meta and Microsoft, have announced job cuts recently to prioritize AI investments as well as to navigate slowing economic growth 

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